Unpacking the Science of the Influential Mind - Tali Sharot

• Contrary to popular belief, data has a limited capacity to change beliefs. It's because our brains did not evolve to rely on numbers and spreadsheets for making conclusions.
• Example: A climate change advocate presenting charts and statistics showing rising global temperatures. Individuals skeptical of climate change may dismiss the data due to confirmation bias. Instead, one can share personal stories of people affected by climate change.
• Data works when individuals have a neutral stance. However, in arguments where opposing views are present, data often has little impact.

• A cognitive phenomenon where people tend to come up with new reasons to support their existing beliefs when presented with contradicting data!
• Scenario: One friend has a strong belief in a specific political ideology.
• Contradictory Evidence: The other friend presents data and arguments that challenge this ideology.
• Outcome: The friend with the original belief becomes more entrenched in their political views, leading to heated debates and potential strain on the friendship

1. Cognitive Dissonance: Confronted with challenging information, individuals experience psychological discomfort and may reject new data, reinforcing their original beliefs.
2. Confirmation Bias: People favor information that confirms their preexisting beliefs and ignore contradictory evidence, strengthening their viewpoints.
3. Social Influence: Beliefs tied to social identity and group membership can lead to resistance to change, as altering beliefs may threaten social standing and relationships.

• Active Listening: Understand the psychological reasons behind someone's beliefs to create a more conducive environment for change.
• Present Information Gradually: Provide information incrementally rather than overwhelming the individual with too much contradictory evidence at once.
• Use Emotional Appeals: Appeal to the emotions rather than relying heavily on logical arguments. Emotional connections can make the information more relatable and less threatening.
• Build Trust: Establish trust and credibility. People are more likely to consider information from sources they trust.

• Research has found that people with higher IQ, when presented with data that contradicts their views, they are more likely to find flaws in the data or interpret it in a way that supports their beliefs.
• Individuals with strong math and analytical skills are more prone to the Backfire Effect.
• The advanced skills are sometimes used to discredit conflicting data rather than seeking truth!

• By emphasizing shared beliefs and motivations (instead of finding flaws with their viewpoints), you increase the likelihood that the other party will listen and be receptive to your message. 
• For example, when promoting vaccination, campaigns often highlight the shared goal of protecting community health. By focusing on the common ground of wanting to keep loved ones safe, these campaigns can overcome hesitancy and encourage vaccination (rather than the approach of trying to disprove the link between vaccination and autism using research data).

• The British government was trying to get people to pay taxes on time. Their normal approach was to send a letter to people who didn't pay on time with a message along the lines of it's really important to pay your taxes. This approach wasn't very effective in changing people's behaviour.
• And so then they changed the message and added the sentence 9 out of 10 people in Britain pay their taxes on time. And that one sentence enhanced compliance by 15%!
• So simply highlighting the positive actions of others, especially when it's a majority, is a simple, inexpensive way to change behavior.

• A hospital study showed that the hand hygiene compliance among medical staff was alarmingly low, with only 10% of staff washing their hands before and after patient interactions.
• Traditional methods, like emphasizing the importance of hand hygiene, proved ineffective.
• To address this, the hospital installed cameras above patient room doors and monitored compliance 24/7.
• However, surveillance alone didn't improve the rates.

• Next, electronic boards were installed above each door, providing real-time feedback.
• The boards displayed immediate positive messages like "Well done!" when staff washed their hands and showed daily and weekly compliance stats for the hospital.
• Impact: Compliance rose to 90% almost instantly and remained high.

So why does this intervention work so well?

1. Immediate Rewards: Positive feedback generated immediate reward signals in the brain, encouraging repeated behavior.
2. Group Conformity: The display of compliance rates meant that each person was now accountable and nobody wanted to be an outlier.

• Fear is often associated with situations where individuals feel they lack control (like when flying on airplanes), leading to heightened anxiety.
• On the other hand, agency or the sense of control reduces anxiety levels. The ability to make choices and exercise agency is experienced as a reward by the brain.

How can we use this in practice?

• If you are a manager, instead of saying here's a project, you have to do this, consult with employees about their preferences and availability and then provide them with choices -  we have these two projects, which one would you rather work on.

• Allowing children to make choices, such as selecting their clothes or meals, promotes a sense of autonomy.
• Children tend to enjoy activities more when they have the opportunity to make decisions themselves - this further fosters a sense of responsibility and self-confidence.
• Even if it's like getting them to eat salads, encourage them to make their own salad - when people make things themselves, they like it better (Ikea Effect).